The impact of coexisting fibromyalgia syndrome on disease activity in patients with psoriatic arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background/objective

This study aims to assess the coexistence of fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) and impact of possible FMS on disease activity in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods

A total of 126 patients, aged 18–65 years old, who were being followed up with PsA (n = 64) and RA (n = 62) diagnoses were included. The Fibromyalgia Rapid Screening Tool (FiRST) was administered for screening FMS. Patients were divided according to the presence of FMS; PsA patients with FMS, patients with PsA without FMS, patients with both RA and FMS and patients with RA without FMS. Disease Activity Score 28 (DAS28) and Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI) were recorded.

Results

FMS was detected in 26.5% of the patients with PsA and 17.7% of the patients with RA (p = .04). A statistically significant higher DAS28 and BASDAI scores were found in patients with FMS (p < .05). There was statistically significant correlation between FiRST with DAS28 and BASDAI scores (p < .001, p = .03, respectively) in PsA patients. No significant correlation was found between FiRST score with age, disease duration, CRP and DAS28 in patients with RA (p > .05).

Conclusion

The patients with concomitant FMS had higher disease activity parameters (DAS28 and BASDAI) than those without FMS.

Keywords:

• DAS28
• disease activity
• fibromyalgia rapid screening tool
• fibromyalgia syndrome

Authors’ contributions

All of authors have participated sufficiently in the submission. CM: literature search, design the study and writing the manuscript. FFA and CM: selecting the cases, and editing the manuscript. All authors have read and approved the final version of the article.

Conflict of interest

None.